Adam Peaty was beaten into fourth place last night in arguably the biggest shock in Commonwealth Games history.
Britain’s greatest swimmer had never lost a breaststroke race over 100 metres and holds the 20 fastest times.
He had held the title since 2014 and in the past seven years broken the world record five times.
So nobody in the 5,000 sell-out crowd could believe their eyes as the Strictly star trailed in outside the medals at Sandwell Aquatics Centre.
Team mate James Wilby took the win in a time of 59.25 seconds ahead of Australian duo Zac Stubblety-Cook and Sam Williamson. Only then came Peaty in 59.86.
“Of course it’s a shock,” said the 27-year old. “I can’t even remember when I went that slow.
“I was hurting from the 50. With 25 to go I had nothing in the tank. That’s a lack of training and lack of racing.”
Coming to Birmingham was always a gamble after Peaty broke his right foot in a freak gym accident in May and was out of the water for six weeks.
The world championships came and went with the British superstar hobbling around in a protective boot. It was the middle of last month before it came off.
Yet still the world expected him to prevail, especially when his semi-final time was faster than any of his opponents, bar Wilby, had managed in their lives.
But cometh the hour, when it mattered most, the Staffordshire pool terrier’s race against time caught up with him.
Not in the first 50 which he led as expected, cheered on by his partner Eiri and their son George, but on the return lap where he reached for another gear and encountered a power failure.
“Sometimes when you don’t race all season it bites you when it matters,” Peaty said. “But it took a broken foot to get it away from me.
“My coach Mel (Marshall) and I had the discussion, do I want to go for Commies? I’m a fighter, I chose to fight. I don’t really care about the stats and how long I’m undefeated.
“This a huge moment for me. There’s something obviously gone majorly wrong in that cycle. I think I need a full reset now.”
Peaty is due back in the pool today for the heats of the 50m but he admits he has no idea what to expect. "I don’t know where my body is at or where my stroke is at."
A remarkable night was completed by paralympic star Alice Tai winning the 100m backstroke seven months after having her right leg amputated below the knee.
"I can't even believe I am here,” said the 23-year old who was born with club foot.
Either side of that were bronze medals for England from James Guy in the 200m fly and the Women’s 4x200m freestyle relay.
